


Worlds Collide

by DanElliot



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drabble Collection, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-08-16 09:04:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8096146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanElliot/pseuds/DanElliot
Summary: There was more than a single world waiting out there, and they were more than ready to explore them all. [A serie of one-shots/drabbles in different universes, Jack/Pitch centered; no slash; rated T for safety]





	1. Snowday

**Summary: Jack wants to play in the snow for the first time.  
** **(Human! Jack; human!Pitch)**

_"Tomorrow is a hope, never a promise."_

* * *

**01\. Snowday**

 

"Koz?"

Kozmotis blinked a few times, his mind still numb and dizzy from the short nap, the book slipping of his hands to fall on the floor but he didn't register it. He couldn't even remember the moment he had fallen asleep on the armchair, too exhausted and comfortable to even care about going to bed before passing out right there. Unfortunately his now sore neck didn't agree with him, and the man took a moment to stretch before he finally let his gaze fall on the boy. Jack had freed himself from the piles of blankets around his body and sat up on the bed, resting against the bed head with that _stupid_ , mischievous smile plastered on his face.

Kozmotis couldn't simply **understand** that.  
He couldn't understand how someone could smile _so easily_ when...

"Yes, Jack?" Now it wasn't time to think about those things. His eyes darted around for a second or two, finding the clock over the fireplace to check on the hour. Not as late as he had expected. "It's not dinner time yet."

"Nope. I wanna do something special today."

Kozmotis sighed, curling against the armchair as he closed his eyes, exhaustion threatening to take over his tired senses and limbs again. When was the last time he really slept for a whole night? It seemed to be a lifetime ago, in fact. He heard Jack calling his name again, impatient and loud as the little imp he was, and the older man felt a deep, annoyed sigh escape his lips.

" _No_ , Jack. No matter what you ask, it's getting late and it's snowing."

"But I wanna see the snow!"

Now that wasn't something he was expecting to hear from Jack, but maybe he shouldn't be so surprised. Kozmotis opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times once more to be sure he hadn't fall asleep again, and stared back at Jack. The boy had that defying, intense expression that left no space for doubts. He was serious. _Really serious_ about this one. And Kozmotis had believed things couldn't get any worse than they already were...

"No."

"Koz!"

"Of all the _irresponsible_ things you could ask me--"

"Just once, please!" And when the child's voice shattered, Kozmotis felt all his defenses breaking as well. "I... just wanna see it **once**. I can't.. you know-- I'll be careful, you can wrap me in all the jackets I have a-and even in four piles of blankets but I can't..."

The older man took a deep breath, running a hand through his raven hair. He couldn't, he shouldn't let the child do something so stupid, so unhealthy but he knew it'd be just as cruel to deny such a _heartbreaking_ request. Jack's eyes were filled with unshed tears, his pale fingers trembling softly as he gripped the blankets. **How** was he supposed to say no, even when he knew it'd just do more _evil_ than good? Kozmotis finally found strength enough to pull himself up and approach the bed, resting a hand on the child's forehead before moving to his hair. No fever. It was a good signal, at least.

"I feel good today, Koz. I really do. And it's my birthday today, remember?"

Of course Kozmotis remembered. How could he forget such a **special** day? And he knew there was no idea to take the idea out of Jack's head, no matter what he said. After a long moment he finally gave up and nodded, moving towards to wardrobe. Every inch of his body _screamed_ against that, against the idea of letting his ward go out in a damned cold afternoon to see the snow. Jack was still _too fragile_ , too weak. It was a miracle he could still stand on his own, yet... he sucked in a deep, harsh breath, trying not to think about that. It'd just make him change his mind and he wouldn't be able to face Jack's hurt expression like he had done countless times before.

It was just **too much** , for both of them.  
They both deserved a break from the cruel, harsh reality they've been living in for the past years.

Kozmotis felt a warm hand being pressed against his back and relaxed under the gentle touch, smiling down at Jack. The boy was still painfully thin and small for his age, but his smile was enough to reassure him that he was indeed feeling well and everything would be fine. A few minutes outside would make them feel better, and it had been a long time since they had some fun together. He pushed away every and any bad feeling and doubt bubbling on his chest and shoved his overprotectiveness in the very depths of his mind, ignoring Jack's little protests as he forced at least four jackets on the boy.

And a hat. And two pair of gloves.  
A scarf was always good to keep around, as well.

He was just being safe. Not _overprotective_.

"You wanna keep me **alive** or what? I can't breath under all these things!"

"Shush, you." Kozmotis laughed softly, finally managing the child to wear some warm shoes before taking a step back to appreciate his work, nodding in approvation. At least Jack wouldn't be cold. "You look warm enough. Come on, before I change my mind about this whole thing."

Any sarcastic retort Jack would say got lost in the moment Kozmotis motioned the door, and the boy gulped softly, eyes shining in antecipation as they crossed the second floor and then the hall quickly, his breath stuck on his throat as the older man approached the main door and unlocked it, allowing the cold wind of winter invade the sacred warmth of their home. The child giggled at the sudden, foreign feeling. It wasn't a bad cold like the ones he used to feel during the nights. It was a gentle cold, inviting even. He took a careful step out, not expecting the lack of stability under his feet, and almost faceplanted right on the snow. Fortunately he kept his balance and giggled loudly, taking a few more steps into the white, fluffy blanket that covered every part of the garden and the streets, his eyes trying to look around at everything at the same time.

It was just _beautiful_. Everything was wonderful, amazing. The cold, the snowflakes falling from the sky, the snowbanks settled here and there...  
How had he missed it for so long?

For a moment he felt tears pricking into his eyes but brushed them off quickly. That stupid sickeness wouldn't mess with him now, not when he was feeling **so great**. A few more steps and he finally found a way not to fall on his face whenever he walked.

"Jack." Kozmotis called softly from the door, keen eyes never leaving his ward. "Five minutes, okay?"

Five minutes were more than enough.

* * *

"So, did you have fun today?" Kozmotis asked idly, more focused on tucking Jack under the blankets, keeping him as warm as he could. The boy just hummed in response, eyes already closed, and the older man didn't help the smile that curled on his lips, running a hand through the child's hair. "Good. Maybe we can do something as special next year."

"It'll be fun. We could make a snowman..." Jack mumbled softly, sighing happily. "Koz, do you think I'll ever get better?"

"I _know_ so."

It was a blatant lie and they both knew so, yet he couldn't just say otherwise, not now when everything was **just fine**. Kozmotis pushed the tears away, placing a soft kiss on Jack's too warm forehead, trying not to worry, not to brood over what would happen sooner or later. They could think about it any other day of the year. They could fear and dread the next day tomorrow.

Today, Jack was alive and that was all that mattered.  
Tomorrow was just a new hope that he'd never give up on.


	2. The Wolf and the Lamb

  **02\. The Wolf and the Lamb**

 

The stories about a certain winter spirit were far from uninteresting. Oh how he loved those stories of how he only brought death and cold wherever he went, of how his single touch could freeze a fellow spirit to the core if they weren't careful enough. How there was a rumour that Man in Moon himself needed to lock the spirit away to prevent him from spreading more chaos. The fear that emanated of each word was more than enough to feed his weak, wrecked body and he longed for more night after night. Even so, Pitch Black couldn't ignore the mutual feeling of empathy growing within his dark soul. Winter spirits had always been strange creatures, but this one that had showed up out of nowhere seemed to affect the other spirits deeply. The _Guardians of Childhood_ themselves didn't even try to go after the rumours surrounding the mysterious figure, since he hadn't done nothing against the children of Earth.

And his curiosity and empathy only seemed to **grow**.  
Oh, how _deep_ had he fallen...

The Nightmare King couldn't really remember how or when he ended up in there, shivering under the merciless winds of Antarctica.  
Maybe it was that weird feeling slamming at his chest with the full strength of a blizzard.

He **needed** to know he wasn't the _only one_ being casted out by everyone else.  
He **needed** to know _someone else_ felt like him.

Abandoned. Hopeless.  
Forgotten.

The ice cave hadn't been difficult to find, even in the endless whites of the tundra, and he was grateful for escape the wind roaring outside. Blue and white mixed in every wall, in each icicle and snowflake that had been detailed in a painfully perfect way. It wasn't a cave created by time and the wild nature. It required magic and an endless amount of patience through years of solitude and loneliness. Oh how he knew those feelings...

"Are you there?"

His velvet, soft voice sounded foreign on his own ears as it echoed on the iced walls, golden eyes moving around slowly as he tried to find something - **someone** hiding behind layers of snow and frost. He took a step forward, then another and another until his fingers could touch a pillar made of the purest ice he had ever seen. The cold bit on his skin, yet he simply dismissed the pain as a swift movement behind his back caught his attention. Pitch turned slowly, trying to picture what a winter spirit would look like...

But _who_ he faced was nothing, **absolutely nothing** like he had expected.

The winter spirit the others had been talking and fearing so much wasn't someone as huge and scary as Old Man Winter had been, nor a bloody madman like Jokul Frosti. It was just... a _child_. That poor thing couldn't be older than fourteen, thin and painfully small. His skin was so pale it looked almost translucent, as if his whole body had been made of pure, fragile snow. His hair was as white as the fresh snowflakes falling over their heads from nowhere at all, and his eyes, dull and empty of emotions, were impossibly blue - as blue as the ice covering the walls of his cave. His old clothing and shepherd-like staff were covered with frost that seemed to follow the boy's barefeet as he moved softly, floating a few inches away from the ground.

_Beautiful_.

There was no other word to describe such a perfect little creature. 

"I am here." His voice as no more than a whisper in the wind, cold and small as his entire being, and for a moment Pitch wondered if his mere touch would make that little preciosity melt as it did to a snowflake that fell on the back of his hand. It surely _looked_ so.

"Are you **sad** , snowflake?"

"I am."

It was just so **easy**... a wave of excitement and antecipation ran down the Boogeyman's spine and he smiled, daring to take a step closer to the winter child that didn't move. He looked lost, _exhausted_ of his own meaningless existence. Pitch knew those feelings perfectly well. Another step closer and he could almost touch that pale, snowy skin. He **desired** to, yet he knew it was just _too soon_. He should be careful. Patient. He _was_ a patient man, after all. All those years in the darkness had taught him wonderful little tricks. The winter spirit stared back at him, blue eyes full of a childish curiosity as he stretched a hand out just too slowly, almost afraid of touching him... And then cold fingers rested against his warm cheek and he felt frost covering his skin in the very moment the child touched him yet he didn't dare to move away, even if every inch of his body screamed against the strange feeling.

"You don't understand anything..."

"I understand."

Pitch felt himself replying just a bit too quickly, but the winter spirit didn't seem to notice it - _thankfully_. The Nightmare King offered him a soft smile, covering the small hand with his own, ignoring the cold biting at his skin and fingers as the honeyed words escaped his lips with mastered perfection. Oh how careful he needed to be, for he knew he was stepping in thin ice and any harsh, wrong movement would scare that precious snowflake away.

"I know what's like to be cast out. To long for a **family**. I've spend so many years in the shadows believing _no one_ else could understand how it feels like... and I was wrong. We don't need to be alone anymore, Jack."

Blue eyes widened in disbelief and hope, his hand slipping out of Pitch's grip to hold the frozen staff tightly. A child seeking comfort in a teddy bear.

He _wanted_ it. The Boogeyman could see it in every trace of his eternal young expressions. He wanted it so badly, he wanted to take that chance because he knew that was the only chance anyone would ever offer him, but... Pitch noticed the very moment that empty, pointless hope shattered and crumbled to dust, when Jack's eyes finally focused on the trail of frost still resting on his grey cheek. The winter child landed on the icy ground, his feet finally touching the snow, and he just looked smaller and more fragile than before, eyes filled with unshed, frozen tears hidden under his white locks. If the Nightmare King still had a heart, it'd be breaking now under that gaze full of hopelessness and pain.

"Y-you don't want me... All I do is make a-a mess of everything..."

And Pitch felt his body moving against his will, hands resting gently on the boy's shoulders, golden eyes never leaving the trembling child as if he'd just disappear at any moment. He couldn't **understand** it. How could the other spirits _fear_ someone so broken, so fragile?

"We can make them **believe** , Jack. Let me show you."

There was a long moment of pure silence, and then the boy nodded softly, a hint of smile dancingn his pale lips. That was it. He had _won_. The battle against the Guardians would be almost pointless now.

But in his blind agitation he didn't notice the trail of frost running down his neck, towards his heart. He didn't notice the smirk that grew on Jack's lips the moment he turned to step on a shadow, too busy keeping the child secure on his arms to travel safely through darkness and away from the cold to pay attention to anything else.

Ah, if he had just _believed_ in the old stories...

The moment they stepped in his lair, a blinding shot of pain crossed his heart.  
The cold. It was **overwhelming**.

"Thank you for bringing me home, Mr. Boogeyman."

He barely registered the child's words as he fell on the ground, the unbearable pain traveling through every inch of his body and soul like little, sharp knifes cutting and stabbing under his skin. He gasped breathless, trying to suck in some air into his lungs that were freezing oh so slowly.

Drowning. He was _drowning_.

He couldn't breath.  
He couldn't move. He felt the cold taking away his warmth, his heartbeat.

"Hush now. Don't be afraid."

Gentle fingers touched his hair, a strange kind of warmth slipping among all the cold.  
The last thing he saw was a pair of blue eyes shining in compassion and understanding, and then darkness engulfed him forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long since I've last updated it and I'm deeply sorry. But thank you for the kudos and hits, it means a lot to me!!! I've got a few new chapters already written so I'll be posting them through the week, so don't worry! Thank you and see you guys later!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! I just don't know what I'm doing anymore but oh well, you guys are used to it by now (at least you guys who follow me). If you don't know me yet, I'm the crazy one that writes 'A Hundred Words', a drabble/one-shots collection about Jack&Pitch relationship in a fraternal way. However, I couldn't help but have some ideas about AUs and I didn't think it was write to put them into that collection. So here, have a new one! Lots (at least I'm planning to write more than a few) of drabbles/one-shots in differents AUs. I apologize beforehand for all the OOCness that you may find on your way, and for all the spelling and grammar mistakes you'll find.


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